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Lakers-Jazz Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLOPosted Feb 10 2010 2:44AM

Even at full strength the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers were likely in for a big challenge against the surging Utah Jazz. Facing the West's hottest team without a pair of injured stars figures to make that challenge even more difficult.

With center Andrew Bynum out and the status of Kobe Bryant still uncertain due to a sore left ankle, the visiting Lakers try to snap the Jazz's nine-game winning streak Wednesday night.

Los Angeles (40-13) proved it could win without Bryant (28.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists per game), winning 99-82 at Portland on Saturday and 101-89 over San Antonio on Monday to improve to 55-33 in his career when he does not play. However, the Lakers' task could be truly daunting if their ailing superstar is unable to go against Utah (32-18), which is in the midst of its longest winning streak since taking 12 in a row Feb. 11-March 10.

A victory Wednesday would give the Jazz their 10th double-digit winning streak in franchise history, and ninth under coach Jerry Sloan.

The Lakers' training staff would like Bryant to rest through the upcoming All-Star weekend, but Bryant said he's not ruling out playing Wednesday.

"If I'm ready to go, I'll play," said Bryant, who's averaging 21.5 points, 6.5 assists and 6.0 rebounds in two games against Utah this season.

"If it's an injury where I feel like I can play through it and have it heal while I'm playing, then I'll play. But if it's the type of injury where it's going to get worse when I play, then I won't."

Coach Phil Jackson said Tuesday it's likely Bynum (15.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg) will miss a second straight game due to a bruised right hip.

"Right now he has kind of resigned himself to the fact that (he won't play)," Jackson told the Lakers' official Web site.

Forward Lamar Odom, who's recorded 32 rebounds in his last two contests, underwent a MRI on his sore left foot Tuesday, but is probable for Wednesday.

Facing the likelihood of a thin lineup, the Lakers may rely heavily on All-Star forward Pau Gasol, who had 21 points, 19 boards, eight assists and five blocked shots Monday as the Lakers overcame a 43.7-percent shooting effort by holding their second straight opponent to fewer than 90 points.

"I don't think we're playing that well, but we are winning the games," Jackson said. "We settle in and play good defense. We can shoot the ball better than we are doing.''

Shooting wasn't the problem in Los Angeles' 102-94 loss at Utah on Dec. 12. Gasol had 16 points and 20 rebounds as the Lakers shot 46.3 percent, but allowed the Jazz to make 51.9 percent of their shots and avoid a third straight loss to the Lakers.

Utah's Carlos Boozer, who had 12 points with eight rebounds and seven assists in that victory, had 34 points and 14 boards in a 109-99 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.

Deron Williams added 13 points with 11 assists as the Jazz won for the 13th time in 14 games overall. Utah is averaging 110.6 points on 52.6 percent shooting during that stretch.

"We're confident and we're having fun," Williams said. "After being in 11th place (in the West) a couple of weeks ago, now we're in third. I think we're playing the way we thought we would play coming into the season."

Headed to his first All-Star Game, Williams had 21 points and 11 assists against the Lakers in the Dec. 12 matchup. He's averaging 28.3 points with 9.2 assists while shooting 58.6 percent in his last four home games versus Los Angeles.

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Odom, Gasol help Lakers cool off white-hot Jazz

By Andrew Aragon, for NBA.comPosted Thursday February 11, 2010 1:04AM

SALT LAKE CITY (NBA.com exclusive) -- They didn't have Kobe Bryant or Andrew Bynum in the lineup and were facing the hottest team in the Western Conference.

So much for stacked odds. The Los Angeles Lakers cooled off the Utah Jazz with stifling defense, and spectacular individual games by Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol in a 96-81 victory on Wednesday night.

Odom had a season-high 25 points and 11 rebounds and Gasol chipped in 22 points and 19 boards. The Lakers (41-13) took control of the game early against a Jazz (32-19) team that had won nine straight.

"This is a good team no matter who's in or who's out of the lineup," Odom said of his Lakers. "We got a lot of guys that can play. Sometimes when you lose a guy or two your focus is kind of there as a team."

Bryant missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle. He originally suffered the injury against Philadelphia on Jan. 29. He re-aggravated it against Charlotte last Wednesday. Bynum missed his second consecutive game after bruising his right hip against Portland on Saturday.

The Lakers aren't exactly a team that's short on swagger, but going 3-0 without Bryant has them feeling great going into the All-Star break.

"We're confident," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson. "They have an idea on what they are as an identity. We were the aggressor tonight."

It started with Odom and Gasol. Odom recorded his third straight double-double and had three three-point plays in the first quarter. Gasol controlled the action on both ends of the floor, as he blocked five shots and had four assists.

"He's the most skilled big man in the league," Odom said of Gasol. "I don't know another guy who's 7-foot-1, 7-2 and can hit lefty, righty hooks. He played great."

The outcome was hardly ever in doubt. Los Angeles took control with a 12-0 run to close the first quarter with a 31-18 lead. The spurt featured a three-point play by Odom, Gasol scoring a layup on an alley-oop, Jordan Farmar making a 3-pointer and a jumper, and Shannon Brown dunking on a fast break.

The Lakers got their running game going early, and the Jazz, who played the previous night in Los Angeles against the Clippers, couldn't keep up.

"They had more energy than us tonight," said Utah guard Deron Williams. "They played harder, competed harder and looked like they wanted the game more."

The Jazz hardly looked like the team that entered Wednesday's game as winners of 14 of their last 15. They hurried possessions, took contested and bad shots, and were pushed out of the paint by Los Angeles' length.

"They came out and got after us," said Utah coach Jerry Sloan. "We couldn't get anything going. We couldn't move hard enough to get ourselves open and they just kept putting it to us."

The Lakers didn't defend the Jazz when they attempted foul shots, but it sure seemed that way. With 8:30 left in the third, Utah was 7-for-19 at the free-throw line.

"You have to be focused a little more," Sloan said. "Where our energy was is beyond me."

You could say that the Lakers stole it. They had to play in the same back-to-back trip earlier this season, going from Los Angeles to Utah early in the morning and knew how difficult it was. That inspired the Lakers to jump on the Jazz early, and they did just that with their 12-0 run to close the first quarter.

"It was to our advantage to go out there and push tempo a little bit and we were able to do that," Jackson said.

After the first quarter, the Jazz got within double digits just once, and it occurred during a 30-second span in the second. Utah got within 12 in the fourth at 79-67 with seven minutes left, but Farmar hit a 3-pointer to retain control for Los Angeles.

"Just trying to be aggressive, trying to make the most of my opportunities," Farmar said. "I had an open look and knocked it down. I was just trying to do what I can to help this team."

Farmar had 18 points and four 3-pointers.

Andrei Kirilenko had 17 points for the Jazz and Wesley Matthews had 13 on 6-for-7 shooting. Carlos Boozer finished with 11 but was held scoreless in the second half.

Both teams are now off for the All-Star break, which will give Bryant time to get healed. It may have been the Lakers' third straight win with Bryant sitting out and a big confidence boost to the rest of the team, but Los Angeles isn't exactly ready to move on without him.

"We need Kobe," said Lakers forward Ron Artest. "They [the Jazz] just came off a back-to-back. We beat Portland. Portland didn't have a lot of people. Who else did we beat [the Spurs]? I forget. Can't let people start that. We're [41]-13 because of your team, not just because of one person and not because of us. We need everybody."